[Organisation and development of palliative care in Denmark]

The development of palliative care started in England where St. Christopher's Hospice opened in 1967. In 1990 palliative care was defined by WHO for the first time. In Denmark development has been retarded and palliative care has not been given high priority by the national health authorities. The first hospice in Denmark opened in 1992, and national guidelines were published in 1999. However, the intentions of the guidelines have not been followed systematically. This article describes the development in Denmark and outlines perspectives on possible future directions.